tear meniscus claim compensation

Tear Of Meniscus Claim Calculator: Compensation Payouts For Cartilage Damage In Your Knee

In this article we set out the compensation payouts you can expect for a tear of meniscus claim with details of what a meniscus in your knee is and how your solicitor calculates average compensation payout amounts for your pain and suffering.

Payout Table For Meniscus Tear Claims In 2023

Torn MeniscusClaim Payout
Minor
Complete recovery
Up to £14,000
Moderate
Surgery
Minor instability
£15,000 – £26,000
Serious
Surgery
Severe damage
Limited knee movement
Degenerative changes
£26,000 – £43,500
Other Knee Injuries£2,000 – £96,000
See knee injury payouts

What is a tear of meniscus claim?

If you have suffered meniscus cartilage damage in an accident or as a result of negligence you might be entitled to make a tear of meniscus claim for compensation from the party considered legally at fault for your injury.

What is the meniscus in your knee?

The meniscus is cartilage in your knee lying between your femur (thigh bone) and your tibia (shin bone).

Your knee has two menisci – the medial meniscus is on the inside of your knee and the lateral meniscus rests on the outside of you knee.

The meniscus is tough and is essential to allow your knees to function, absorb shock and distribute your weight evenly.

What types of accident can cause a torn meniscus?

Certain accidents can cause damage, pain or even a tear to these cartilages especially those that involve a twist to the knee.

This might be a heavy loading work accident or machine failure accident.

Accidents involving a large impact on your knee can also cause a torn meniscus – such as in a motorbike road traffic accident.

How is the amount of compensation calculated for your meniscus tear claim?

Instruct a personal injury solicitor

You will need the help of a specialist personal injury solicitor to claim compensation for meniscus damage and gather evidence to determine how much your claim is worth.

Orthopaedic medical examination and report

Your solicitor will instruct a medical expert to examine your knee and consider your hospital and GP notes together with any x-rays or scans of knee. The correct medical expert is likely to be an orthopaedic consultant who specialises in knee injuries.

torn meniscus cartilage knee examination
Torn Meniscus Cartilage Knee Examination

Need for surgery and recovery periods

This medical expert will set out in a report an opinion as to the exact nature of your injuries, the level of pain you are experiencing, whether an operation or surgery is necessary to help remedy your problems and the expert will provide a prognosis giving an estimate as to how long you are likely to suffer pain, the risk of arthritis and any ankle instability, impairment or disability you might have.

Claims decided by the court for similar types of meniscus tear injury

Based upon this report your lawyer will be able to review case law for compensation amounts awarded by the courts in the past for similar injuries and so determine how much your tear of meniscus claim is worth.

Absence from work and disadvantage in the workplace

The medical report should also set out the reasonableness of any time of work and the risk of future time of work or disadvantages in your current job together with risks of finding future employment should you lose your current job. Your solicitor will therefore be able to determine the amount of compensation you can claim for both past and future lost income together with a disadvantage on the open labour market.

Average compensation payout calculations for tear of meniscus claims

Below is a compensation calculator, with examples of the amounts of compensation you can claim for meniscus tear in 2023, include:

Watch out – the calculations below are for pain and suffering only. You can claim financial loss and expense in addition to these sums.

Torn meniscus with complete recovery

If you suffer a tear to the medial or lateral meniscus, but the tear is relatively minor and leads to a complete recovery in a short time period – your claim is likely to be worth up to £14,000.

Tear of menisci claim with on-going instability

Should you require surgery to help remedy your torn meniscus and be left with ongoing minor instability, pain or disability – your average compensation payout will be calculated between £15,000 and £26,000.

Meniscus injury leading to restriction of movement of your knee

In the more severe damage to your medical and lateral meniscus leading to more severe instability in your knee, limitation of movement and degenerative changes such as arthritis – average payouts for your tear of meniscus claim could be between £26,000 and £43,500.

Other types of knee injury claims

For examples of how much compensation you can claim for other types of knee injury, including fractures and dislocations – see our knee injury compensation article

Free Specialist Solicitor Online / Telephone Help

To help you decide if you have a claim for meniscus damage – ideally you will need to discuss your accident with a specialist personal injury lawyer.

We offer a number of unique free online and telephone help options. You can speak to our specialist solicitors by calling direct or arranging a callback. You can contact us online to ask your own question or have your claim assessed.